Nick Johnson played but mostly as a shooting guard while Isaiah Canaan ran the Rockets' offense. But by the time the season began, there would be three point guards on the roster. A lack of summer-league minutes at point guard would not impact how much playing time he would get as a rookie.

Ready-made roles

All have returned to Las Vegas not just with greater roles but with the jobs the Rockets hope they can show themselves ready to fill when the games that count begin. But they have had to put those plans on hold, with both out with injuries when the Las Vegas schedule began Friday.

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Capela, 6-10, watched the opener with tendinitis in his right knee; Johnson, a 6-3 guard, with right lower leg irritation. Both are day-to-day.

While the Rockets wait for their return, draft picks forwards Sam Dekker (sore lower back) and Montrezl Harrell also were out.

Their absences were not an issue on the floor Friday, as the Rockets who were left built a 19-point lead and won 111-104 over the D-League select team. Center Alan Williams led the Rockets with 27 points, and guard Glen Rice Jr. had 20.

As important as summer league is for players hoping to land an NBA roster spot or catch the eye of a scout looking to fill out teams internationally, for the summer Rockets' relative veterans, it was supposed to be a step toward the jobs the team hopes its young roster players can fill. That could happen, but those hopes are on hold.

Capela was expected to be the starting center, a step toward becoming Dwight Howard's backup next season. Johnson worked through two-a-days before Las Vegas at point guard in the hopes he is ready to run an offense and bring his defense to the point.

'Be that guy'

"I think it's very important for those guys," Rockets assistant coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "One of the things that the summer league does is get guys that may not have leadership with responsibilities with your team or (experience) being the guy with your team; it gives them the opportunity to be the leaders, to be that guy. That experience is always helpful. And you get your usage up.

Opportunity knocking

"A lot of times when you play with James (Harden) and Dwight, those veteran guys, you don't get a lot of touches. But now in this situation, you're Dwight, you're James. You're getting those reps. You're getting those touches."

A year ago, that elevated role helped forward Donatas Motiejunas kick-start a breakthrough season.

This season, the Rockets hope the summer league will do the same for Johnson and Capela.

With the Rockets' reserves at both positions - Josh Smith and Jason Terry - unsigned, there could be opportunity to carve out minutes, but both will be asked to show they are ready to take those significant steps.

"We want Nick to push it, play a lot of point guard, be a playmaker on the offensive end, be able to knock down those shots, the open shots we like to take," Bickerstaff said. "And then, on the defensive end, we want to see him get after people. We think that can be one of his biggest assets. He's shown to have great feet, great athleticism and be able to challenge at the rim.

Paint ball for Capela

"Clint, we want him to do what he does. He's a rim-runner. He's a screen-and-roll player. We want to get him some touches in the paint.

"We obviously won't feature him a ton at the block, but we will run plays for him to catch it in the paint. We want him to be able to finish in the paint.

"Defensively, he has to be the anchor of our defense. He's got to protect the rim. He's got to protect the paint."

If they can do all that, the Rockets could leave Las Vegas with reason to believe they can do more than they have before, and far more than they were asked to do the last time they went to summer league. But when summer league began, they looked like many of last season's starters by sitting out with injuries.